Teacher Guide

Tuck Everlasting Lesson Plan

Introduction to Tuck Everlasting

Published in 1975, Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting was an immediate hit. It won the 1976 Christopher Award as best book for young people and is still considered a classic of children's literature.

The Tucks are a family struck by immortality when they drink from a magic spring. Winnie Foster is a young girl who learns their secret and decides to protect it at all costs. The novel explores the downsides of immortality and the importance of the cycle of life. Babbitt said she got the idea when her young daughter woke up from a nap frightened about the idea of dying. The author wanted to explain that death was a natural and important part of life that everyone must do. While this is a...